Faculty Resources

To receive disability-related accommodations, it the UW-Green Bay policy that students must be registered with the Disability Services Office before accommodations can be granted. Students may not know how to receive disability accommodations so it is important to identify a statement on your syllabus.

Sample of Syllabi Statements:

In accordance to UW-Green Bay policy, if you have a disability and need academic accommodations, please contact the Disability Services Office (465-2841, dis@uwgb.edu or Student Services Building Room1700) as soon as possible as some accommodations may take a several weeks to arrange. Once you are eligible for accommodations, you will need to contact me to discuss how accommodations will be implemented. To maintain the confidentiality of your request, please do not approach me before or after class to discuss your accommodation needs.

Consistent with federal laws and the policies of the University of Wisconsin, it is the policy of UW-Green Bay to provide appropriate and necessary accommodations to students with documented disabilities. If you are require any accommodations, please contact the Disability Services Coordinator at 465-2841 as soon as possible to discuss what accommodations you need to have equal access. It is important that you do this early in the term as some accommodations can take several weeks to arrange. If you want additional information, please do not hesitate to contact me.

UW-Green Bay Policy on Individuals with Disabilities
If you need accommodations due to a disability, you must provide appropriate documentation to the Disability Services Office (Student Services Building, Room 1700, 920-465-2841 or email dis@uwgb.edu). Accommodation Request form completed by DS office will be delivered by you to me to discuss and implement reasonable accommodations. It is important that you do this early in the term as some accommodations can take several weeks to arrange.

You can also make your class more accessible by incorporating the Universal Design Principles:

Universal Design

Designing any product or environment involves the consideration of many factors including aesthetics, engineering options, environmental issues, safety concerns, and cost.

Often the design is created for the "average" user. In contrast universal design is "the design of products and environments to be usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialized design."

Universal design is an approach to the designed products and environments, including instruction, that takes into consideration the the variety of abilities, disabilities, racial/ethnic backgrounds, reading abilities, ages, and other characteristics of the student body.

Following are the principles of universal design along with an example in academic programs for each.

Equitable Use - The design is useful and marketable to people with diverse abilities. For example, a website that is designed so that it is accessible to everyone, including students who are blind and using text-to-speech software, employs this principle.

Flexibility in Use - The design accommodates a wide range of individual preferences and abilities. An example is a museum that allows a visitor to choose to read or listen to the description of the contents of a display case.

Simple and Intuitive - Use of the design is easy to understand, regardless of the user's experience, knowledge, language skills, or current concentration level. Science lab equipment with control buttons that are clear and intuitive is a good example of an application of this principle.

Perceptible Information - The design communicates necessary information effectively to the user, regardless of ambient conditions or the user's sensory abilities. An example of this principle being employed is when multimedia projected in a noisy academic conference exhibit includes captioning.

Tolerance for Error - The design minimizes hazards and the adverse consequences of accidental or unintended actions. An example of a product applying this principle is educational software that provides guidance when the student makes an inappropriate selection.

Low Physical Effort - The design can be used efficiently and comfortably, and with a minimum of fatigue. Doors that are easy to open by people with a wide variety of physical characteristics demonstrate the application of this principle.

Size and Space for Approach and Use - Appropriate size and space is provided for approach, reach, manipulation, and use regardless of the user's body size, posture, or mobility. A science lab work area designed for use by students with a wide variety of physical characteristics and abilities is an example of employing this principle.

Faculty Resources Links

The Faculty Room
A space for faculty and administrators at postsecondary institutions to learn about how to create classroom environments and activities that maximize the learning of all students, including those with disabilities.

pepnet 2
Pepnet 2 provides a full range of post-secondary education and training options available for individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing including increasing the capacity of those institutions to appropriately service this diverse student population.

Reasonable Accommodations
Employers and educators need practical information about reasonable accommodations for people who have psychiatric disabilities.

Heath Resource Center
The national clearinghouse on postsecondary education for individuals with disabilities.